by Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports

by Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports

It was to be expected, perhaps, given the nature of the weekend itself. For the second Saturday in a row, the FBS schedule was defined not by marquee games but by the lack thereof: There were no games like Clemson and Georgia, which dominated the opening weekend of the year, nor another Alabama and Texas A&M, which lived up to its advanced billing as one of the must-see games of the 2013 season.

Eight early games were decided by 21 or more points - the worst Ohio State's 76-0 win against overmatched Florida A&M, followed closely by Louisville's 72-0 win against woeful FIU. That trend continued later in the day in unexpected fashion as still-unbeaten Maryland handed West Virginia its first shutout loss since Oct. 6, 2001, in a 37-0 rout. It was the Terrapins' largest margin of victory vs. West Virginia since winning 54-7 in 1951.

While several outlets - led by the AAC - reported that both sides did discuss instituting a running clock with about four minutes left in the third quarter, FIU coach Ron Turner said after the game he never discussed the topic with the officiating crew. Meanwhile, Louisville coach Charlie Strong said both coaching staffs did talk about a running clock, according to The Courier-Journal.

There was your normal degree of FBS on FCS violence: Ohio State mauled Florida A&M, Washington did the same to Idaho State, Bowling Green to Murray State and Virginia to VMI. But FCS teams sign up for losses - it's part of Florida A&M's payout for heading to Columbus, Ohio, in a sense.

"We don't want a pity party," Florida A&M coach Earl Holmes said. "I don't have a problem with that. I don't expect the coach to kneel. You play the game. You play for 60 minutes."

What has been striking is the number of FBS-only games decided in the first half, if not - as in the case of Baylor's handling of Louisiana-Monroe, or Ball State's conference win against Eastern Michigan - in the first quarter. Maryland seemed to take out two years of developing frustration on West Virginia, moving ahead of the Mountaineers 30-0 at halftime.

The blowout-heavy FBS schedule largely brings an end to non-conference action; come next week, the majority of the FBS will begin the heart of league play. The question, one particularly meaningful after such a weekend often short on drama: Will teams such as Ohio State, Washington and Louisville be ready for an increased degree of competition?

"Obviously, at midnight next week, we'll know," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said. "Are we prepared? I like to think we are."